Axum

AXUM is one of the most important

archaeological sites of Ethiopia. It is well known for its ruins of the palace of the legendary Queen of Sheba who reigned around 1000 BC. The greatest mystery of all, however, is that the son of the Queen of Sheba, Menelik I, first king of the Solomonic Dynasty, brought with him the Ark of the Covenant from the Temple of Jerusalem to Axum. The Ark of the Covenant is believed still to be kept in the Church of St. Mary of Zion erected on the original location of the oldest church of Ethiopia. The Axumite Kingdom's conversion to Christianity in the 4th century makes Ethiopia, after Armenia and Georgia, the third oldest Christian country. The site of the country's most ancient city shields and shelters a great number of priceless relics. Other ancient sites are the 3,000 years old stelae, (some are even much older), which are made from single blocks of granite carved to represent multistory houses.